Divergence
by SwordofGeddon
Summary: Formerly known as "The Darkness between 12 and 13", rewritten and with many changes. A trap set for the Doctor may have changed his destiny. A new Doctor is born who faces a great mystery, new enemies as well as old. Set after Series 7.
1. A New Doctor Is Born

The 11th fiddled with the controls of his TARDIS. Despite all of time and space availible for him to explore, he felt a longing in his heart. It was something he always had, and in the past only his companions had been able to fill it. So many faces flashed in his mind when he thought of the word companion.

It was then, despite the humming of the TARDIS, that he heard a beeping sound coming from one of the monitors.

Hurrying to see what was causing the noise, the 11th noticed the image of his wife, River Song.

"Hello sweetie. Please come to the following place in space and time..let us enjoy each others company." Was what the message said.

His hearts skipping a beat, the doctor hurried and adjusted the controls. Moments later the TARDIS stopped. The Doctor quickly opened the door and made his way outside.

It was, at least it seemed a peaceful world, with clean water, tall golden trees, and a wonderful crimson sky.

The Doctor had wanted to go with River to a special place after hearing the latest news from his wife, although time and circumstances delayed the vacation he had planned.

River had become a Professor, with all the respect the title suggested. Due to the Doctor erasing any evidence of himself across the universe and time he could find, River had been pardoned of her crime, and eventually promoted.

The Doctor wanted to cry when he heard the news. He first met River when she was a Professor..on the planet with the library. He had been in his tenth regeneration back then, and saw things quite differently then he did now. River had died sacrificing herself to save him. He had managed to save her mind by uploading it using the sonic screwdriver she had carried. It was an advanced module, and the Doctor had managed to reconstruct the device from what he remembered. It would be yet another paradox, the Doctor giving River Song a screwdriver he designed based on a memory of the same said device.

Spotting his wife amid a grove of crimson trees, joy filled the Doctor's hearts at the sight of his wife.

"Hello sweetie. You called me here? This place reminds me of how you described Gallifrey. Its quite nice." River said

"Called you here? I thought you called me here?" The Doctor asked, suddenly having a bad feeling.

"You mean you didn't send me a message asking me to come here?" River asked, her personal time travel device, the vortex manipulator in her left hand.

"No..I did not." The Doctor started, but was interupted by the distant sound of chanting.

At first it sounded like "germinate", but as the noise got closer the Doctor clearly heard "Ex-Term-Min-Nate", followed by the appearence of hundreds of silver colored Daleks.

The legions of Skaro had returned to bring down their vengeance upon the oncoming storm.

Any chances for a peaceful day were shattered with the Daleks. They had not given any warning of their coming, descending upon them like an angry swarm of bees.

"RUN!" The 11th yelled, quickly grabbing River's free hand. The two of them ran, lasers raining down upon them, slowly making their way to the TARDIS.

This was not the first time they had located him threw out the many possible places in time he could be lurking. It seemed that the Daleks were getting better at finding him. And while that fact alone worried him, the matter that they had remembered him at all worried him even moreso.

The two ran into the TARDIS, the Doctor quickly running to the controls. The TARDIS began to dematerialize, but before it could fully leave, a laser from one of the Daleks outside struck the TARDIS, causing them to tumble out of control the moment they entered the time vortex. It was all the Doctor could do to stabilize things.

The TARDIS spun violently threw the time vortex. Inside the Doctor franticly toggled different switches in a vain attempt at getting the vessel under control.

River tried to stay calm as she assisted the Doctor. Holding onto whatever they could to prevent themselves from falling over. River was definitely more knowledgeable about time travel and the Tardis itself than most of his previous companions, but even she looked frightened as they tumbled, nearly out of control threw time and space. Wearing a white cloth uniform of some sort, River looked about the same as the day he first met her.

The Doctor could not blame her. They had traveled to a beautiful world in the 29th century in what was supposed to be a peaceful day, just the two of them together, enjoying each other's company. There was more worries on the Doctor's mind than the obvious trap by the Daleks however. Unknown to River, it was also a farewell to River Song, for the time of her death was drawing near.

Over the past few years the Doctor had dealt with the collapse of reality, the Silence and his near death. It had made him nearly forget about the fact the Daleks were back, and thanks to him, stronger than they had ever been. They had captured him once, the Doctor had to face a gallery of Daleks from threw out his years traveling the timestream. The Daleks had forgotten him after that incident, or so it seemed. That time had been a close call for everyone involved, and once again now the Doctor faced another close call, the Daleks somehow remembering the existence of their greatest enemy, and once again they had taken a new form.

"_Amy and Rory, how I miss the both of you..and you as well...Clara, even though our travels aren't quite finished yet." The 11th doctor thought._

The Doctor smiled as a plan formed in his mind.

"Hold on. I'm bringing us down." The Doctor said with a smile as he adjusted his bow tie.

"Are you sure that is wise?" River asked.

Just then the TARDIS shook violently again, nearly causing the Doctor to fall over.

"I really don't care I just want this shaking to stop!" The Doctor yelled in response.

The Doctor smiled, even in dangerous situations like this, his companions made it all worth living.

Quickly going over all the controls he knew, the TARDIS seemed to calm.

"Are things back under control?" River asked.

"I think the worst is over, but just in case.." The Doctor said as he pulled down a lever.

"Geronimo!" The Doctor yelled

Sparks flew from the various controls of the TARDIS. River noticed a dangerous build-up of blue, lightning-like energy arcing around the control console which the Doctor, in his excitement failed to notice. She was about to warn her husband when a bolt of the energy leapt from the controls of the TARDIS and struck the Doctor square in the chest.

As the TARDIS stopped, the stunned Doctor looked down at the wound in shock.

River ran over to the Doctor. Time seemed to freeze as River ran to her husband. Her golden, curly hair, her worried expression, the Doctor's black hair and brown and black outfit, the red warning lights and the black and silver TARDIS control room, color, feeling and motion, if even for a second, seemed still.

The look on the Doctor's face reminded River of Lake Silencio. It scared her.

The Doctor's wife could not help but explode with a show of concern.

Looking once again at the wound in his chest, the burned part of his clothing, the Doctor sighed.

"I am afraid River that my time as myself is drawing to an end. Know this though, whatever kind of man my next regeneration is...I will always love you." The 11th doctor said, pain on his face from his fatal chest would evident.

River was not happy.

"You can't die! You already got past this! We already got past this!" River said, nearly in tears as the Doctor stumbled and nearly fell over.

"_If she only knew." _The 11th thought.

"I have to say Mrs. River Song, that it has been an honor traveling with you. You made things...fun" The Doctor said before erupting in a fit of coughing.

"Is there anything I can do for him?" River asked as she turned her head towards the Tardis. A silent, telepathic voice responded to River's question.

"Give him some room." The Tardis said sadly, as a single tear fell from River's left eye.

In her travels River had run into all the Doctor's past forms, all except his 10th incarnation, however briefly. However she had never ever had a glimpse at his future selves. For her, this was an unknown, and frankly, it scared her.

As mist poured out of the TARDIS control console the Doctor's hands and face began to glow with a golden light.

"This is really not fair. I prevented myself from dying at a fixed point. I wasn't done traveling with you, there were so many, so many more places I wanted to show you." The Doctor said with sorrow in his voice as he felt the familiar fire in his veins.

"You still can, just not as you." River said as another single tear ran down her face.

River quietly got back as the Doctor turned his face upwards and held his hands out to the side.

The Doctor yelled one last geronimo as the Regeneration began, his body radiating golden energy.

River, remembering her last regeneration, briefly wondered what kind of person the next Doctor would be. Would he be older again like his previous incarnations? Younger perhaps? Would he be more outwardly alien like his 11th or 4th incarnations, or more human like his 10th? River was about to get an answer to her question as the Doctor yelled in pain. River thought it was sad that she had perhaps heard the last of the 11th's voice in that cry of agony.

Moments later the regeneration was over, and the Doctor, now with long straight red hair down to his shoulders, fell over onto the floor of the TARDIS, exhausted from his ordeal.

River was afraid to see what the Doctor, her doctor had become. Tears ran down her face at the thought of never seeing the eleventh again.

"That was perhaps the most painful regeneration yet." The 12th said, speaking his first words. The new doctor's voice sounded young, not much different in pitch than his previous form. His accent was noticably different however. River was reminded somewhat of the accent certain english rock musicians took on.

"_His ego is big enough...this is the last thing he needs." _River thought to herself.

The Doctor forced himself off the ground and stood up, then turned around and looked at his wife and then around at the Tardis. His face looked even younger than the 11th's, possibly twenty three in appearance. His features were handsome and soft, though there was a strange darkness behind his emerald eyes, like a lurking shadow. Although he looked young the weight of all his years was behind his eyes.

"One moment" The 12th Doctor said.

The 12th doctor grabbed his hair and seeing its color, smiled.

"Finally!" The 12th said.

"I'm glad your happy." River said sadly.

"Why do you look so upset? You know what regeneration is. You of all people should understand. Damn I need new clothing...this look just isn't me anymore." The 12th said.

"I just watched the Doctor, my husband, die. Of coarse I'm going to be shaken up." River said

"Well you should not be upset Song, because I am very much alive. Now before I assess the damage of the TARDIS I must insist on a change in clothing as I just mentioned. I can't believe my previous incarnation wore a bow tie of all things. I mean, out of all the possible outfits he could have wore..ah nevermind." The 12th Doctor said as he removed the 11th Doctor's trademark bow-tie, an act which further upset River.

"Why do you have to destroy all that is left of him?" River yelled suddenly, surprising herself with the intensity of her emotions.

The 12th Doctor turned towards River and looked at her with a harsh glare before speaking to her.

"Mrs. Song, I do not mean to sound rude, but the Doctor you knew is gone. While I am just as much the Doctor as he was, I'm also a different man now. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to change." The 12th Doctor said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Before the Doctor could make his way to the stairs River decided to say something.

"Why are you being so cold?" River asked, a look of concern on her face as she looked at the Doctor.

River had married a very odd man yes, but a very compassionate man as well. However this new Doctor seemed completely different. He acknowledged her, but it was almost like he thought she was beneath him. She had no proof that was what the Doctor was actually thinking, but it was a very unnerving feeling nonetheless.

The Doctor turned towards River and looked directly at her. He still wore the remains of the Eleventh Doctor's outfit, minus the bow-tie, yet another reminder that the man she had married was in a sense, dead.

"River, you of all people should understand. I just transformed into almost a completely new person, my TARDIS is heavily damaged, and there may be an armada of angry Daleks heading our way. So please don't be surprised if I'm just a little bit selfish at the moment. I really don't have time for this." The Doctor said, then promptly walked down the stairs towards the TARDIS' wardrobe.

"Maybe he just needs some space. After all he did just regenerate, I'm sure he will be back to his usual cheerful self when he is done changing." River said, half doubting her own words.

"At least he's happy with his new form. I know I am..somewhat." River said with a slight smile.

It was about ten minutes later when the 12th Doctor walked back up the stairs into the TARDIS control room. He was wearing a white outfit and carrying a white cane. The outfit reminded River of Elvis.

"The Doctor is...IN!" The 12th said, loudly announcing his return to the control room. River rolled her eyes in response.

"_This will take some getting used to."_ River thought.

"So how do I look?" The Doctor asked with a smile.

"Like a rock star." River said flatly.

"That was the idea luv." The Doctor said.

Suddenly the Doctor's eyes lit up and he walked over to River. The Doctor stroked her left cheek with his right hand, then kissed her on the forehead.

River smiled.

"There is nothing to worry about. In fact I'd say with this regeneration...I am new and improved." The 12th said happily, then twirled his cane around.

"Anyway...what about the TARDIS? She is damaged and we will need to land somewhere so you can repair it." River said

"My thoughts exactly. Now speaking of which, I will inspect things to see how badly damaged the TARDIS is. It can't be too bad, the control room is still in one piece. I remember last time I regenerated, I ended up completely ruining the control room, the Tardis was forced to regenerate itself. I did rebuild it again shortly after the Ponds left us though. I like the current look, even after I repair her...I think I will keep it this way." The Doctor said as he looked over the controls. There was a certain...festive carnival look to the current control room, almost like a carousel. The 12th thought it fit him to a T.

"By any chance did you look over the damage yourself while I was busy in the wardrobe luv?" The Doctor said, turning his head towards River.

"I did, it turns out whatever weapon the Daleks fired into the TARDIS was responsible for that energy surge." River said.

"I am really getting tired of the Daleks. First they start the Time War, then they destroy Gallifrey, er well technically I destroyed Gallifrey, but they made me do it! Everywhere I go I keep running into them, no matter how many times they are destroyed they just keep coming." The Doctor said as removed a panel on the underside of the console and looked inside.

"That sounds sort of like you. But if I recall did not the Time Lords start the Time War?" River said with a smile on her face.

"Maybe? But about the DALEKS being like me, yes they are, except when I come back I'm different each time. With the Daleks its always EX-TER-MIN-NATE, I mean come up with some new material already!" The Doctor said with a hint of humor in his voice.

River smiled.

"Oh, and Daleks...making yourselves look like the Power Rangers with that so called new paradigm really does not work. That paint job...yuck." The 12th said, then placed the panel back and stood up.

"Is the TARDIS fixed?" River asked after briefly laughing.

"Should be. Now how about we go to a planet with a restaurant. I'm starving." The Doctor said

"Thats right, after regenerating you need food.' River said.

The TARDIS shook briefly. The Doctor then walked over to the door and opened it, then stepped outside.

River followed the Doctor. They were in a large parking lot. It was raining and the concrete was slick and wet from all the water. Nearby the car-filled lot was a series of stores and restaurants. The Doctor was walking quickly to a large building with the name "Country Buffet" displayed on it.

"Where are we exactly?" River asked.

"Somewhere in America would be my guess, early twenty-first century." The 12th Doctor said as he looked around the very-American strip mall.

Once the duo was inside the Restaurant the Doctor walked up to one of the staff, an older, slightly overweight women wearing a white uniform with curly blond hair.

"Hello, how much does it cost to eat here? I am quite famished so I would appreciate any service you can provide." The Doctor asked politely.

"It is fifteen dollars to eat here." The woman responded in a direct, slightly unfriendly tone.

"Cold and unfriendly, must be New England." The Doctor said quietly to himself.

"Look mister are you going to pay or not?" The woman asked with a growing impatience in her voice.

"I don't like your tone. I don't think I will be paying you anything." The Doctor said, prompting a slight look of concern on River's face as she looked at her husband.

"Well then I guess you won't be eating." The woman said dismissively before turning around. Before the woman could walk away the Doctor tapped her on the shoulder.

What happened next River would have never predicted.

As soon as the woman was facing him again the Doctor slammed her in the face with a hard punch. The woman immediately fell over, unconscious.

"Nobody is rude to the Doctor." The Doctor said with a dark tone in his voice.

Turning towards his stunned companion and Wife, the Doctor smiled and asked.

"You hungry? I hope so, its on the house." The Doctor said with a smile before going over to a food stand and getting a plate, which he immediate stacked with random food items.

One of the customers, a middle aged man eating with his family at a nearby booth, saw the Doctor punch out the staff member, and seeing the Doctor threateningly move his cane over the stunned woman as he got back to the table with his plate of food in his free hand, immediately got out his cell phone and dialed 9-11.

"Doctor why did you just do that?" River asked her husband, trying not to yell in anger, who was stuffing his face with food.

The Doctor waited until he swallowed his food, lest he be impolite and talk with his mouth full, before answering.

"That woman talked to me with such disrespect, I am sorry River but I had to teach her a lesson." The Doctor said.

"That isn't like you. You always have hated violence!" River said loudly, almost yelling.

"And where has my hatred of violence gotten me? There have been many times when someone willing to use violence has been able to stop a threat when I was unable to. Look at you River, always firing a gun. I'm tired of others willing to fight on my behalf while I stand back and point at things with a Sonic Screwdriver." The Doctor said before taking a bite of a chicken leg.

"I understand that, but punching out someone because you don't like the way they talked to you is wrong." River said

"Is it? How many times have I sacrificed and saved this planet? Never once did I look for recognition on the part of humanity for my efforts. The least people can do is show some respect." The Doctor said

River lost her temper at that moment, grabbed the plate of food in front of the Doctor, and moved it away from him.

"I can't believe your acting this way! What has this regeneration done to you?" River said, now visibly upset.

River wasn't sure what to do. She was shocked at the Doctor's behavior, and she was able to calm the Doctor down, but then the doors behind them swung open to reveal about two police officers dressed in black uniforms. The lead officer was talking into a walkey-talkey. All of them looked like they meant business.

The Doctor turned his head towards the police.

"Looks like we have company." River said flatly.

"Your under arrest for assault and battery." The lead officer, an overweight man with short cut black hair, said loudly as he looked in the Doctor's direction.

"Are you talking to me? Because I don't think I heard you right." The Doctor asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"Yes sir, you match the description." The officer said.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" The Doctor asked, slamming down the fork in his hand loudly against the table.

"Your a man charged with assault." The officer said, not amused by the Doctor in the slightest.

"I saved you people so many times now I lost count, and you want to arrest me? Oh and a walkey-talkey? Ever hear of cell phones?" The Doctor asked with slight anger in his voice.

"What a fruitcake." The lead officer, the somewhat overweight man with short black hair and four oclock shadow muttered loud enough that the Doctor heard him.

"What was that?" The Doctor asked, hearing the officer's remark. The doctor narrowed his green eyes at the man, the shadows River had thought she saw earlier quite evident now that the Doctor was angry.

"I said your a fruitcake, have a problem with that buddy?" The officer asked, smiling slightly.

Another of the officers, a bald man with a black mustache, decided then to play "good cop".

"Look kid, come with us nice and easy and we will make sure things go easier on you." The man said.

"Kid? I may look quite young by your standards...but I am over one thousand years old. I could be your great-great-great...oh nevermind. Now I'm upset..look what you've done." The 12th said, moving a strand of red hair out of his right eye.

The Doctor then stood up and was immediately tackled to the ground by the officers in front of a very upset River Song.

"I can help him in the TARDIS." River said quietly to herself. The Doctor's wife then walked out of the building. The Doctor, seeing River leave him behind as the police placed hand-cuffs on him, felt sadness, then anger at his companion and wife, thinking that she had abandoned him.

_"After all I've been threw with you, you leave me here to rot. I will remember this River, I bet this was your idea from the very start!"_ The Doctor thought to himself as the officers lead the handcuffed doctor to the back of a patrol car outside.

"This is not a great way to spend the first few hours after a regeneration." The Doctor said, thinking out loud.

"Well you should have thought about that before you assaulted Mrs. Beasly." An officer sitting in front of the Doctor said.

"So that was her name. Oh, and loosen up with the cuffs, not all of us are all fat and no brains here." The Doctor said. In response to his insult the overweight officier tightened the restraints.

"I said loosen not tighten you imbecile!" The 12th yelled.

"If I were you I'd remain silent." The bald officer said as the duo stuffed the Doctor in the back of their patrol car.

"I just had to leave my Sonic Screwdriver on the TARDIS. Not that it would have been much help. As soon as I get out of this mess the first thing I'm going to do is make a screwdriver with heavy offensive capabilities. The days of the pacifist Doctor are over." The Doctor thought as his lips curved into a slight smile.

Meanwhile River entered the TARDIS. The entire craft seemed offline or powered down somehow.

_"I'm guessing the Doctor put the TARDIS on some kind of sleep mode, maybe to shield the TARDIS presence from the Daleks."""" _ River thought to herself.

"_I'll just enter a few commands on the controls and I should have him out of there in no time at all._" River thought with a smile on her face.

The Doctor had been placed in a cell with a worn down seat and steel bars. He grinned at how pathetic this prison was. He remembered far more intimidating prisons than this. As he sat in his temporary prison his mind drifted to thoughts of his past and other subjects.

The police had placed him in the cell roughly after they arrived here. Once the Doctor would have thought all sorts of good things about these humans. The Doctor remembered how much in love with the human race he had been in his tenth incarnation.

Now the Doctor realized how naive he had been. The Human race as a whole did not appreciate the fact he had saved them hundreds of times now from all manner of alien races bent on conquest and destruction. They never appreciated anything he did because they did not know. He had never demanded credit for his goodwill towards the human race.

The Doctor shook his head. It was better that way. He had many enemies and such a high profile on Earth would be disastrous. The only humans that had to know were his companions.

"But in the end all of my companions end up dying or getting screwed up in some way, and it is always my fault. I'm tired of people dying for me. If I had the spine to fight back years ago maybe things would be different now." The Doctor thought right before he heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS re-materializing outside his cell door.

The Doctor got up onto his feet as River emerged from the Blue box and stood outside his cell door.

The Doctor's curly brown-haired wife had a wide smile as she looked at the Doctor.

"Well this looks familiar. All these years I've known you its always been you taking me out of that cell, now things are reversed." River said with a grin.

The Doctor looked briefly at River.

"River..so you didn't abandon me luv." The 12th said.

"If we are going to escape from here we should do it soon." River said

"Yes, of coarse. Sorry I just have a lot on my mind." The Doctor said as he stepped out of the cell which River had managed to open using his Sonic Screwdriver.

The two of them then made their way inside the TARDIS. The 12th doctor quickly made his way over to the controls and piloted a coarse back into the time vortex, piloting a coarse out of the current space and time.

"So what is bothering you?" River asked.

The 12th Doctor looked at his wife.

"May we talk?" The Doctor asked.

"Of coarse." River said

The two then looked deeply into the eyes of the other, River noticing a void of sorrow and emptyness in the doctor's now green eyes, something that hadn't been there in his previous incarnation.

"So what is wrong. You've been acting odd since your regeneration, and don't tell me its just your new personality." River said.

The Doctor ran his right hand threw his ginger hair.

"River...did I ever tell you of the story of the Valeyard?" The 12th Doctor asked.

"I think you mentioned something like that once, but you wouldn't go into much detail." River said, having an ominious feeling.

"Ever since I regenerated, I've had to stop myself from doing things. I feel as though morals are being stolen from me. The worst part is half the time I don't even recognize it. When I was in prison for example, I thought of building a screwdriver capable of killing, and I saw nothing wrong with that." The Doctor said, sounding quite upset.

"There is nothing wrong with defending people you care about, maybe that is what you really want to accomplish by building something like that." River suggested.

"No, even if your right I can't do that. If I start going down that slippery slope than I'll end up nothing more than a monster. I know me." The Doctor said sadly.

"So what is the Valeyard exactly. Does you losing control of yourself have something to do with it?" River asked.

"I think this is just the beginning. Remember Lake Silencio? Well I believe the Valeyard is yet another fixed point in my timeline. An enemy of mine once said that in my final days that was one name I was known for. It means that..if I am right on this...in the future River, I'm not going to be a good person anymore..lets just put it that way." The Doctor said, visibly upset.

River felt more like a parent consoling their angsty teen, than a wife speaking to her husband.

"How do you know your future is fixed like that?" River asked, concern in her voice.

"Many years ago, when I was in my sixth incarnation the Valeyard appeared during a trial on Gallefrey. He was supposed to be either my 12th or 13th regeneration, or perhaps something in between. Since I'm the 12th incarnation that means only one thing." The Doctor said.

"That your next regeneration will be the Valeyard, and your last regeneration." River said flatly.

"Exactly." The Doctor said.

"From what you told me of your life back then, the Time Lords once thought you could only regenerate twelve times. Now you know that full blooded time lords have hundreds of regenerations. So many things you once thought were facts have been proven incorrect. Could not this Valeyard be no different? Maybe he won't even appear." River said with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I hope so. But there is something else. It has not happened yet in your timeline, but for me this is relatively recent history. I visited the site of my own grave some time ago, and I saw myself in the future...a version of me that abandoned the title of the Doctor and all it stood for." The Doctor said.

"Were you there? As in the 12th Doctor?" River asked

"Actually...no." The Doctor said, stroking his chin in thought.

"So maybe your timeline has already changed. Maybe before you regenerated later, which resulted in that alternate regeneration." River suggested.

"If that is the case...than those Daleks did myself a favor." The 12th said, looking at the floor in thought.

River smiled. The Doctor turned his gaze on his wife once again and spoke.

"Oh and by the way..the reason the thirteen regeneration thing changed was because of the time war, we were all altered to have more regenerations, so that we could fight longer. I am fortunate in that regard, because this being my last life would frankly suck." The 12th said, his voice hinting at something that was deeply troubling him.

There was a short silence after those words were spoken. Once a few minutes had past, River broke the silence.

"Your hiding something from me. Something other than what we already spoke about." River said flatly.

The 12th's hearts sank. He did not want to tell her, but he knew unless they were on the same page, it would only hurt both of them.

"You really want to know?" The 12th said, his young voice filled with sorrow.

"Yes. What is bothering you..other than your new bi-polar personality." River said.

"Ouch..luv you wound me." The 12th said, pausing before speaking again as he leaned his thin body against the console and crossed his arms over his chest, leaving his white cane leaning nearby against the controls.

"Your going to die." The 12th said, finally revealing the truth.

"What?" River asked, surprise in her voice.

"When I was in my 10th regeneration, which you have yet to meet in your personal timeline, I encountered a future version of you. You died to save me. I could not save your body, but I did preserve your mind. The fact is...I believe this to be a fixed point in your timeline...I don't want to lose you River. I would destroy the universe first." The 12th said, a hint of both sorrow and anger in his voice.

"The sad thing is...I don't doubt you would." River said.

"There must be a way to cheat..to bypass this..to save you. Maybe I could clone you a new body...and upload your mind back into it. You will have a new regeneration cycle..we could travel forever." The 12th said

"Now you sound more reasonable." River said

The Doctor then reached into a hidden compartment, pulling out a helmut like device which he placed on his head.

The Doctor looked up at a monitor.

"I was afraid of this. There is nothing wrong with me." The 12th said

"Maybe your just worried about me." River said.

"Maybe. In any case I think we should have some fun. Do you like carnivals?" The 12th asked

"I liked the games as a child..but the clowns always scared me." River said.

"Did you know that some clowns are in fact aliens. Most are harmless though. In any case, with me around you have little to fear." The Doctor said.

The fact River wore her hair the same as the day he had first met her, shorter than her old cut, reminded the Doctor of her impending demise. He shook his head, then strengthened out his hair.

"_This regeneration really cares about his appearence." _River thought.

A moment later and the TARDIS stopped. The 12th fetched his cane and opened the door. He and River were greeted to the sight of multiple multi-color tents, crowds walking to various attractions, and the smell of various carnival foods.

"Where are we?" River asked

"This is the coney island amusement park in New York, 1972. Come luv." The Doctor said, beckoning his wife follow him outside.

River took the Doctor's hand, and the two walked around the carnival, trying different rides and watching some fireworks.

The night seemed to go on forever. For once since his regeneration, the Doctor was happy, as was River.

Afew hours later, while the two were walking past crowds, the Doctor stopped.

"You know, I think I could make a better carnival attraction than any this place has ever seen." The 12th said

"I bet. Hey whats that?" River asked, seeing a tent full of historical looking items from ancient and medival times from around the world.

"Looks like some kind of pawn shop maybe. Lets have a look shall we?" The 12th said, extending his right hand to River.

"Lets." River said, taking his hand.

The two approached the tent, noticing a tan skinned man with a short beard, black hair and a thin mustache and goatee. He wore an expensive looking purple suit with white pinstripes.

"Can I help you? See anything of interest?" The man asked with a very charismatic sounding baritone male voice.

"We are just looking around." River said

"By all means." The man answered.

The Doctor did not see anything of interest until he spotted what looked like a plate with ancient egyptian hieroglyphics.

What interested him however was not the hieroglyphics themselves, but something he saw in the middle of them. Something that should not have been.

"That isn't possible." The 12th said

"What isn't possible?" River asked.

"Where did you get that egyptian plate?" The Doctor asked

The man running the tent smiled. The smile was a somewhat sinister one.

"Someone sold it to me...awile ago." The man said.

"What is the problem?" River asked.

The Doctor whispered to River.

"There is something written in Gallifrey on that Plate." The 12th whispered.

River's eyes widened.

"To the TARDIS!" The 12th said, and then the two of them walked away.

Unknown to the Doctor, he was being watched as they left.

The man running the tent smiled.

Inside the TARDIS..

"So what did that plate say?" River asked as she and the Doctor got to the controls of the TARDIS

"It said my name is Ozymandias." The Doctor answered as he fiddled with the controls, the familiar sound of the engine coming to life filling the chamber.

"That was a poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1818, featured in the Examiner's January 11th issue." River said.

"You certainly earned that title of yours Professor River Song. That poem should not be written in Gallifrey, let alone on an old plate from ancient egypt. Something is off here." The Doctor said.

"So what will we do? Go ask the author?" River asked.

"No. The poem was a clue I believe, it was written in my language, so therefore I believe that means it was a clue on a destination." The Doctor said, his eyes hinting at the million possible thoughts going threw his mind.

"Where do you think it was telling us to go?" River asked, holding onto the controls as the TARDIS entered the time vortex.

"Ozymandias was a greek word for a part of the throne-name for the Pharoah Ramesses the Great, or Ramesses the second as he was also known. So our destination will be sometime during his reign, I set our destination to 1270 BC." The Doctor said, excitement in his voice.

"Have you ever been to this time period?" River yelled as the ship quaked.

"No..have you?" The Doctor responded

"No." River responded.

Suddenly the TARDIS stopped. The Doctor went to the doors and opened them, only to be hit by a gust of wind as the sight of the deserts of ancient Egypt greeted them. The Doctor straightened out his red hair while deep in thought.

"_My name is Ozymandias, king of kings Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair...does that plate really refer to Ramesses? I have a bad feeling about all this." _The 12th Doctor thought to himself.


	2. The Silence in the Desert

The sands of Egypt seemed to stretch on forever. The Doctor had landed the TARDIS far from any kind of settlement or civilization. His experiences in his previous incarnation had made him paranoid, and he much preferred to keep a low profile.

He had even debated dressing like an ancient Egyptian, but after five seconds worth of internal debate he decided not to.

If anyone asked he would merely tell the truth, that he was a traveler from a far away land.

Walking in the sand with the heat overhead was not this Doctor's idea of fun, but he had experienced worse in his previous incarnations..

With one white shoed foot in front of the other he walked across the yellow sands, the boundless blue sky overhead with only the blazing white-yellow of Earth's sun in the sky.

"Why did you have to park the TARDIS so far away from Pi-Ramesses..I presume that is where we are going right?" River asked. The red color of her face and the sweat pouring down it a hint at her discomfort.

"I parked at specifically the right location. The last thing I need is the Ancient Egyptians putting me in hieroglyphics. I'm trying to keep a low profile." The 12th explained.

"They already put you in hieroglyphics." River said as they began walking up yet another sand dune.

"Yes but I erased that." The Doctor responded, wiping sweat of his own off his forehead.

After crossing another dune the two saw a gleaming city in the distance. The many clay houses, obelisks and other monuments made it clear this was their destination.

Meanwhile...Inside the main palace of Pi-Ramesses...

The Pharaoh had just a day before returned to the capital. He wore his double crown with pride, knowing his position and all the people he held power over.

The throne room of the palace was a great sight. On both the left and right walls hieroglyphics depicting the deeds of the Pharoah could be seen. The room was supported by four large sand-colored collumns, also decorated with hieroglyphs. The ceiling was relatively high and a featureless sand color.

A man with a bald head, tan skin, and sand-colored robes walked into the chamber, the various muscled guards gazing in his direction briefly before realizing who he was.

Ramesses II looked at the man and smiled.

"Ah Vizier Khay, what brings you to my pressence this day?" The Pharaoh asked

"Nevermind me..I heard your campaign against the Hittites did not go well my lord." Khay said.

"News has traveled quickly since I returned...but yes, I..Ramesses the Great was defeated. Let none of the common man I govern know of this travesty Khay...lest they doubt me as Pharaoh." Ramesses said, sending a harsh glare in his Vizier's direction.

"In no way did I presume otherwise. But I did come to offer my council...if you would receive it sir." Khay responded, bow graciously after he did so.

The king sighed.

"I'm not sure what to do. I was forced to sign a...treaty with the Hittite king..my only alternative would have been death..and the conquest of Egypt by our enemy." The Pharaoh said.

"Then record your defeat as a victory...even if everyone else tells the truth." Khay said with a smile.

"Ah Khay...the obvious solution. I made the right decision when I named you Vizier. Now..on to other business." Ramesses said.

Suddenly a tall and very muscular looking man walked into the throneroom.

"Sir, a thousand apologies..but there is a man here to see you. He seems to be a foreigner..and is wearing strange dress." The man said, bowing before the Pharaoh while he spoke.

"Well let this man in. He may prove entertaining. But just in case have the guard doubled in this chamber." Ramesses said.

Escorted by two guards armed with spears was the Doctor, whos white outfit, pale skin and orange hair made him stand out like a sore thumb in ancient Egypt.

"Ah Ramesses the second...also known as Ramesses the Great. It is an honor to meet you." The Doctor said, doing a most graceful bow before the king.

"I see my reputation precedes me...including in whatever strange land you must call home." Ramesses said.

"My companion and I came here of a matter most urgent." The Doctor said, pulling out a tablet.

"I'm listening." The Pharaoh said.

"Did you order the construction of this tablet?" The Doctor said, handing the tablet to the Pharaoh who, after a few seconds hesitation, took it.

"Hmm..it says my name is Ozymandias, King of Kings..hmm and more." The Pharaoh said.

"You can read it?" The Doctor asked with a surprised tone.

"I can read my own people's writing? Of coarse. Why are you surprise? Should not a ruler be a master of his own language? Spoken or otherwise?" Ramesses II asked.

"Of coarse...just wondering though..what does the rest of this tablet said?" The Doctor asked.

"It says After The. The rest is not on this tablet. I believe this must be a portion of a larger work. And to answer your earlier question...no I did not commission this..and I wouldn't..I do not particularly enjoy riddles." Ramsesses said, glancing and nodding at his Vizier briefly before turning again toward the Doctor.

Eagerly the Doctor smiled, awaiting the intrepretation of the ancient egyptian written on the tablet.

"It states near the Hanging Gardens you will find what you seek. I have no idea what that would mean and I don't particularlly care..as I stated earlier..I don't care for riddles and..." Ramesses II said, suddenly smiling widely.

"And?" The Doctor asked

"I don't really care for you either. Guards...take him away. Did you take me a fool? You are clearly a spy...sent by one of my enemies." Ramesses said angrily.

"No..I am not a spy your making a mistake!" The Doctor yelled as two well muscled bald tan guards wearing only loincloths grabbed the Doctor.

"What is with me and prisons lately?" The Doctor muttered.

It was little more than a hole in the ground, but the Doctor could see from its primitive design that it was indeed a prison in the truest fashion of the word. A single pit with two others, one a very thin old man with a long white beard, and the other a younger man, also very thin, were his apparent cell mates. Both wore little more than sand colored rags.

He had been deposited at the top of the chasm, and had been forced to climb a rope to the bottom. Once at the bottom the guards that had brought him here had removed the rope.

The entire room was sand colored, with the shadows from above casting the bottom in darkness. Above the sun could be seen, just out of reach, a cruel design from what must have been a cruel builder.

He had left River outside the palace. Would she come and rescue him again?

"So..what was your crime?" The old man asked, coughing violently afterwards.

"I annoyed the Pharaoh.." The Doctor said flatly

"You'll spend a couple years down here at most..me..I've been down here..forgotten for I don't know how long." The old man said, then began coughing again.

The Doctor looked at the man, he could not help but feel sorry for him. How bad could a man's crimes be to be utterly forgotten by the world?

"Here...let me help you." The Doctor said, then pulled out his silver and green sonic screwdriver.

After waving the device in the air in front of the old man, he suddenly stopped coughing. Whatever ailed him, now a thing of the past.

"You..your some kind of agent of the gods!" The man said with reverence and surprise. Before he could bow, the Doctor raised his right hand.

"Don't bow before me. I am a mortal...just like you. Think of me as a healer..here to save. What I did for you was my job. Now tell me...friend...what crime could be so bad to land you such a sentence?" The Doctor asked.

"He killed someone, the wife of one of the palace guards." The younger man said with a weak, weary sounding voice.

"I was framed for the murder. The true murderer was another guard who wanted the woman for himself. I being a commoner with no standing and no wealth to call my own...was the logical person to blame. That was long ago though..I have resigned myself to this pit." The old man said.

"Well today is your lucky day..for you are in the presence of the Doctor..and I never let down those in need. Now is the moment of your liberation." The Doctor said, stood up, then waved his sonic screwdriver around the room.

"Your going to use your magic to get us out?" The younger man said, sounding doubtful.

"Not the way I'd put it but yes...I am going to use my magic to get us out." The Doctor said, smiling when he noticed one particular section of the wall.

Walking over to the wall behind where he had been sitting, the Doctor began feeling the wall until finally one section slid backwards, revealing a hidden escape route.

"Behold the doorway to our freedom gentlemen." The Doctor said, walking over to the old man and helping him to his feet just as the younger man stood up.

"What is this?" The older man asked.

"I'd imagine the prison's creator built it into the wall in case he was trapped down here. It must have been forgotten otherwise they would have plugged it up I imagine." The 12th said, using his screwdriver as a torch as the three entered what appeared to be an old ruin.

There were hieroglyph on the walls, some of the figures however were not human. They had large heads and dark..dark black eyes. Staring into the eyes felt to the Doctor like staring into some dark chasm that never ended. He could not help but feel like he had seen such creatures before.

"An ancient temple...build sometime before the first dynasty. Interesting." The Doctor said.

"You call it interesting...I call it frightening. I want out of here." The younger man said.

"Don't be afraid your with me remember? Even if there were things down here I would.." The Doctor started to say until he saw it. It was right ahead of him, staring right at him.

"What in the name of the gods is that?" The older man shouted, obviously in terror.

The creature wore no clothing and was completely grey in color. Its large black eyes stared with hate at the three in front of it.

"Now I am certain those hieroglyphs looked familiar." The Doctor said.

"LEAVE THIS PLACE DOC..TOR...THE HUMANS BELONG TO US!" The creature yelled.

"I beg to differ." The Doctor said

The younger man ran in the opposite direction in terror. The creature suddenly held out its left hand, firing a bolt of lightning which completely destroyed the man on impact. A brief scream was all the noise that was heard before he was gone...then only silence ruled the chamber.

"You have now officially made me angry...and trust me...Silent..that is something you don't do." The Doctor said, narrowing his eyes at his opponent.

The old man was on the ground behind the Doctor, obviously scared out of his mind.

"I should have stayed in the cell..this is punishment." The man muttered.

"WHAT WILL YOU POSSIBLY DO DOCTOR? YOU DEPLORE VIOLENCE." The creature said.

Careful not to look away from the creature, the Doctor reached into his pants and pulled out a fancy gold-hilted knife.

With the weapon in his right hand, the Doctor smiled.

"You were correct until recently. But time changes all things..including me. Now...just as you murdered that innocent man..so too will your life end at my hand." The Doctor said, then charged.

The Silent nimbly dodged the Doctor, then fired a blast of electricity his way. The 12th quickly sidestepped the blast, then buried the knife in the creature's chest. The Silent screamed a horrid scream as the weapon pierced his flesh, then collapsed onto the ground, dead.

"The monster has been defeated." The Doctor said, looking behind himself only to find nobody was there.

"Hmm? Old man?" The Doctor asked, then realized he must have went back to the cell. The Doctor quickly walked threw the ruin back to the prison, where he found the old man sitting against the wall where he had been earlier.

"The creature has been defeated. If you still desire freedom..come with me." The 12th said

"But..what will I do when I'm free? For so long I've only known this prison. Everyone I knew must be either dead or so old they have forgotten me." The old man said.

"Since I am responsible for you...I will make sure that whatever freedom you have is one where you will be happy." The Doctor said.

"No...I'm sorry..I'm just too old..this is my home now..I can't leave. But thankyou for your kindness. May the gods bless you." The old man said.

The Doctor was silent for a moment..then he walked into the ruin, with the screwdriver in his left hand and the knife in his right he walked past the dead Silent, and into a chamber full of shadows. Looking upwards, the Doctor saw at least a dozen Silents sleeping on the ceiling. At this time in history, the creatures were just starting to mettle in the affairs of the human race. The Doctor could only guess what dark things they were responsible for.

Walking forward threw an arched doorway, the Doctor found a wall of sand blocking his progress forward. Using his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor caused the sand to fall away, revealing sunlight and an way out.

Taking his chances outside the Doctor walked threw the cleared doorway, only to find River standing outside in the middle of the desert where he emerged waiting for him.

"River..so glad to see you. As you can see I just managed to get out, by myself this time around. I imagine how tired you must have gotten breaking out of prison all the time. Anyways...I believe I know our next destination." The 12th said.

River eyed the blood-stained knife in his left hand.

"Don't you see what is happening to you?" River asked

"What do you mean? You use a gun all the time. If I had not used this three men, myself included, would have died instead of one." The 12th said, failing to see River's point.

"Your name...the Doctor..it is not just a title you decided on a whim, it is a promise, and you are already starting to abandon what being the Doctor means." River said.

"I did what I did because I had no choice. We can discuss this later River. Any more time in this desert and." The Doctor started, but stopped when River slapped him across the right side of his face.

"What was that for?" The 12th asked.

"Because you need to listen to yourself. No choice? You always have a choice." River said strongly.

The Doctor looked at the ground, looking much like a child would after being scolded.

"Your right of coarse." The Doctor said.

"Well then that is great..but..what are YOU going to do about it?" River asked.

The Doctor said nothing, he merely dropped the dagger onto the desert sands without a word.

"Leave the violence to me." River said with a serious tone.

"Your the only one I know who would say that with a straight face." The 12th said flatly.

"Lets go..I'm getting tired of this place myself. Brings back bad memories." River said.

It took more than a few minutes, but the duo had managed to make their way back to the TARDIS, the Doctor closing the door both figuratively and literally on Ancient Egypt, at least for the moment.

"So where are we going next?" River asked

"Ancient Persia...during the rule of Xerxes the first. Destination...Babylon." The Doctor said

Meanwhile back in the present day...

It was a very well furnished room. A vast library of books lined the walls and a large, gothic themed window provided light to the room. A man sat in a comfortable looking red recliner, a glass of red wine in his right hand held ever so delicately.

He gazed upon a round screen which displayed an image of the Doctor inside the TARDIS.

The man glanced up as a tall man with grey hair, wearing a fancy black suit walked over to stand by the right side of the recliner.

"Sir I have the governor on line one, if your willing to accept the call that is." The older man said, holding a sleek cell phone out.

"Thankyou Jackson, you may leave, or stay, I don't particularly care either way." The man said with a deep, charismatic sounding voice.

The man was on the thin side and had a tan complexion, short black hair as well as a thin black goatee and mustache. He wore an expensive looking purple suit with white pinstripes. On the man's right hand was a golden ring with the infinity symbol engraved on it's surface.

As the rain fell outside the mansion, the glow of lightning could be seen outside the window.

The man took the cell phone from his servant's hand and held it to the right side of his face.

"Hello, Master speaking." The man said as the sound of thunder was heard from outside.


	3. Warriors

The TARDIS materialized in the ancient city of Babylon. The sky was full of dark grey clouds which cast a shadow over the city below.

As for the city itself, it was rather unremarkable. The buildings were typical of ancient Mesopotamia, made of stone or mud brick. It was the massive Hanging Gardens that stood out.

A marvel of ancient engineering, the building was one of the fabled wonders of the ancient world, a massive stone structure with plants hanging down, hence the name, the building also had the blue coloration and decoration typical of ancient Babylon.

When the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS he smiled seeing the sights, River right behind him as he did so. While he had seen all the wonders of the ancient world before, he never got tired of seeing them, especially since he had never seen them in this incarnation..so everything felt fresh in his mind.

"Lets hope you don't get arrested this time." River said with the hint of a smile.

"I hope." The Doctor said, a hint of weariness in his voice.

The two time travelers made their way into the city itself rather quickly, as the Doctor had landed the TARDIS close to the city. Passing a group of soldiers armed with tall spears wearing the brown armor and shawl typical of Persians of this time period, the duo were now firmly inside the city. The two paused in the middle of an empty street, dwellings on either side of them.

"So any idea what we are looking for?" River asked as the 12th crossed his arms.

"Another plate, similiar to the first one we found. If I'm right it should be somewhere in this city." The 12th said.

"That is like looking for a needle in a haysack." River commented

"Well..if I'm correct that there is a pattern, a link if you will between the ancient conquering kings of the middle east..then Xerxes time period would be the most logical location." The Doctor said, looking to the left.

"As opposed to any other great conquering king of the ancient world that controled Babylon whY?" River asked.

"Because like Ramesses the Great, Xerxes lost an important battle. My theory is that the second hint would point in some manner to the first." The Doctor said, revealing his train of thought.

The two walked threw the dusty tan streets of Babylon slowly making their way threw people wearing robes of all colors, all the while inching towards the Hanging Gardens. The journey would have been straightforward, if it were not for the cry of a man.

Both the Doctor and River turned to see a very frightened looking man being held by two guards in red armor, with helms made of gold and both with black beards.

"Please...I am no warrior." The man begged.

"All must answer the summons." One of the guards said.

The crowd grew silent. Fear was evident on the faces of all present, except for River and the Doctor.

The Doctor walked forward.

"Excuse me..but what is going on here?" The Doctor asked

"This man has been selected to fight." One of the red armored guards said.

"Fight? Fight in what?" The Doctor asked.

"The tournament." The guard responded. The duo then began to drag the man away, until the Doctor stood in front of them.

"What kind of tournament? What tournament?" The 12th asked, his green piercing eyes staring intently at the guards.

"The tournament of Marduk." The guard said.

The Doctor allowed the guards to walk past him, still carrying the screaming man.

"Marduk is only a myth...he was an ancient god of this area." River said, walking over to the Doctor.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is an innocent man is going to be forced to die for no reason than the entertainment of someone. This I will not allow." The Doctor said, then walked over to the guards.

"If you must take someone to fight...take me." The Doctor asked.

The guards looked at each other, then dropped the screaming man.

"There is nothing against the rules regarding substitutions..very well, come with us." The guards said.

River followed the Doctor as he was taken to a large square stone building. Nearby the Hanging Gardens could be seen. They were an amazing sight.

Inside the building was a large circular arena. Like ancient Rome, a place that was yet to come, crowds filled the arena seating. In the center of the arena was a dirt pit, various skulls and bones littered the ground, evident of previous battles.

The Doctor was escorted to the edge of the arena.

"You will fight three rounds. If you win all of them you can go free. If not...well isn't it obvious?" The guard said.

"I understand the ridiculous rules of this backward and cruel tournament. Now give me a weapon so I can get this over with." The Doctor requested.

"You may take my sword. But that is all." The guard said, handing the Doctor a simple iron blade. The guard then suddenly kicked the Doctor in the chest, an act which sent him falling to the fighting pit below.

"Good luck..your going to need it!" The guard yelled, then he and his partner began laughing.

"I feel so warm and fuzzy inside." The Doctor said, rolling his eyes as he forced himself to his feet, sword in hand.

River took a seat. She was prepared to enter the battle with her concealed pistol at any time if things turned against the Doctor.

The Doctor turned his head and held his sword at the ready, looking like he had spent a lifetime training with the weapon.

Suddenly a loud deep male booming voice filled the chamber.

"Men and women of Babylon! We will not witness a battle for the ages! This man, armed with a simple sword...will fight against one of the most fierce some beasts ever to dwell in the region. I give you the Mushussu...the living imbodiment of Marduk!" The voice yelled.

At the far side of the chamber a metal gate opened and a large creature, walking on all fours entered the Arena.

The creature was obviously a dragon, a fact which astonished the Doctor. It was scaly dragon with hind legs like an eagle's talons and feline forelegs. It also had a long neck and tail, a horned head, a snakelike tongue and a crest.

The creature, the Mushussu licked the air with its tongue, then hissed as it caught sight of the Doctor.

The Doctor walked towards the creature without fear.

"You want me beast? Well come and get me!" The 12th yelled, his sword at the ready.

The creature needed no further warning, and ran towards the Doctor. The Doctor sidestepped the creature, then brought his sword around and slashed the creature in the back, an act which caused the Mushussu to howl in pain.

Angered, the creature turned its long neck around and with lightning speed delivered a fierce bite to the Doctor's chest.

The Doctor yelled in pain, then narrowed his eyes with determination.

With the crowd howling with excitement, the Doctor brought his sword down with a forward parry, blocking the creature's claw when it attempted a second attack.

The Mushussu attempted to bite another three times, all of which the Doctor blocked.

The 12th then brought his sword forward again, this time severing one of the Mushussu's limbs, in this case, his right claw.

The creature hissed in pain and anger, then leapt at the Doctor, attempting to prounce. The Doctor took the chance to cut a deep wound in the beast's belly.

The Mushussu landed behind the Doctor, in great pain, but alive.

"Finish him!" The announcer yelled, to howling applause by the crowd.

"No. I will not kill for your amusement! The creature is defeated! That should satisfy your bloodlust." The 12th yelled in response. The crowd hissed and booed, not happy that the Doctor would show mercy.

The Doctor walked over to his defeated enemy, the crowd cheered again, thinking he was changing his mind. Instead the Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Waving it around while pointed at the beast he had defeated, the crowd watched in amazement as the creature's wounds began to heal.

The creature did not move, but breathed.

"So this man refuses to kill? We have seen such foolishness before. Men and women of Babylon...let us see how he fairs against a more formidable adversary! Will he still show mercy? We will see." The announcer yelled.

The Doctor turned towards the gate to see another creature emerging. This time a giant lion the size of a small car emerged. This beast had two great eagle-like wings and looked at the Doctor with intelligence in its eyes.

"Behold! The great Anzu! Subdued long ago by Marduk himself! Surely the challenger is doomed!" The announcer yelled.

"Anzu? This is impossible! This creature is only a myth." River said, thinking out loud to herself.

"So they dragged someone more interesting than the usual rif-raff I am forced the kill. I wonder how you will fight." Anzu said.

"I don't know if your a trick...or if I'm losing my mind..but come and face me..and lets get this over with." The 12th said.

"With pleasure." The winged Lion said, then began running forward.

The Doctor sidestepped the beast, then ran in the opposite direction

Anzu turned his body around, flapped his wings, then took to the air.

"Does this please you? To watch a man up against seemingly impossible odds?" The Doctor yelled as Anzu's shadow overtook him.

The 12th turned his head upward and raised his sword.

"One shall stand...one shall fall. Let this be finished!" The Doctor yelled

Anzu flew downward at the doctor, who had his sword prepared to defend himself.

River closed her eyes, briefly thinking it was over.

Instead of killing him, Anzu grabbed the Doctor with his mouth and began circling the arena.

"Wait your not killing me?" The Doctor asked, surprised.

"Of coarse not. We are both prisoners here. I knew the moment I heard you spared the Sirrush that you were different than the others." Anzu said with his gruff, regal sounding voice.

Anzu then flew toward a very surprised looking River as the crowd shouted in fright and surprise.

Grabbing River with his paws, Anzu flew directly at the entrance, slammed into it, then into the skies above Babylon.

"Where will you take us?" River asked

"To the Hanging Gardens. That is where you were headed is it not?" Anzu said.

"How did you know?" The Doctor asked.

"I didn't. But you oppose Marduk...as do I. The entrance to Marduk's palace is near the Hanging Gardens." Anzu said.

Meanwhile..somewhere on Earth in the 21st century...

The Master looked down from his place of residence at the sprawling city below. He smiled, seeing his tan face in the mirror.

His return had been yet another miracle. He had been thrust inside the time lock after his assault on Rassilon. Stuck on a burning, dying world with a mind dangerously close to complete and utter madness. It was a wonder he had found a way to survive, let alone escape as the silence created by the absence of the drums drove him ever closer to the bliss that insanity provided.

The Master remembered that day well.

The Guard was at his heels as he ran across the burnt city streets. The once glorious capital of the Time Lords was now a barely-held together ruin. His body had been restored somehow to normal after arriving on Gallifrey, not that it mattered when nearly every timelord on the dying world wanted him dead for stopping their ascension.

It seemed like forever, but somehow he managed to find a fully intact TARDIS. He had immediately tried to pilot the TARDIS out of the time lock. After some effort he had succeeded, but while his new TARDIS survived the transition into the time vortex, the chaotic and violent energies unleashed in the process had guaranteed that his Harold Saxon incarnation did not.

His TARDIS arrived damaged in the slum of an unknown city, and he remembered stumbling out of the TARDIS covered in burns.

The Harold Saxon incarnation of the Master looked around. He recognized the streets of London immediately and laughed.

"I'm free! I escaped!" The Master yelled. He then felt weak. His skin was covered in burns. The remains of the blue sweat shirt he had been wearing hung from his exposed chest.

"I'm dying..." The Master realized. He also noticed once again the absence of the drums.

"Without the drums...who am I? Who will I become?" The Master asked aloud, fear evident on his face.

Pausing, the Master then smiled.

"Lets find out!" The Harold Saxon incarnation of the master spoke his final words, then held his hands to the side and looked upwards at the sky.

As he regenerated, the it felt amazing as the insanity of his previous incarnation melted away, replaced by a new calm, calculating and well, machiavellian mind.

The Master, now possessing light tan skin, short black hair, beard and mustache, began to laugh manically.

"I live! Mhahahaha...I LIVE!" The Master yelled.

In the present...

It felt weird at first to be sane again. His genius was now unhampered by the drums which once tormented him. After his rebirth he discovered he still had one thing in common with his previous incarnation: an interest in politics.

His genius and ruthlessness quickly made him the most feared and powerful in 2020 London's criminal underworld. Eventually he managed to acquire a big portion of the illegal drug trade. Once his place was assured he moved into legitimate business by using his wealth to buy out a number of small companies. Next his business grew into one of the largest and most powerful on Earth. His alias became a household name. He ran for mayor of London and won.

The Master's plans went much further than the Mayor. He had used his TARDIS to watch the Doctor. He learned of River Song, the Doctors wife and a half-Timelord. Her entire existence had given the Master a brilliant idea.

His scheme was now in motion. But there was still much more he had to do.

A sudden ring caught the Master's attention.

The Master removed a flat tablet-style cell phone from one of his suit's many pockets and spoke into the phone with a pleasant tone in his voice.

"So what have you decided?" The Master asked.

There was a pause before an alien sounding voice replied.

"The Doctor has escaped Master." The voice said.

"Excellent news. The attack will have set in motion my plans. I will notify you if I have further need for your services." The Master said.

"Master?" The voice asked.

"Its good to be in business with you. I should inform you that the Doctor has regenerated keep that in mind if I send you after him again." The Master said, almost sounding happy to give his new allies the news.

"We will watch him and attack again if you so wish it. Make sure you honor your end of the bargain." The voice said before the connection was severed.

The master turned off his phone and put it in his pants pocket.

"It will be good to match wits with you again Doctor, its been far too long." The Master said.


	4. Trants and Kings

I wanted to thank all that have been with me up till now reading this story. Thankyou for your time and the reviews..it means alot for people to be able to enjoy my work. For this new chapter..I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did(no more) writing it.

...

Anzu flew over the city of Babylon. He had reached a speed that forced both River and the Doctor to hold on tightly. With one fell swoop Anzo flew under the famaos Gates of Ishtar towards the Hanging Gardens...and then something amazing happened.

Suddenly with a noise that resembled lightning they were no longer on Earth, but a strange world with a crimson sky and golden vegetation. For a moment the Doctor was reminded of Gallifrey, until he saw thousands of the dragon-like Surresh creatures standing in formation in front of a gigantic palace of some sort.

The palace was a great Ziggurat, in the same style as ancient Sumeria and Babylon. It was painted blue, and on either side of the structure were great statues of a bearded man with four wings.

"I take it that palace is Marduk's?" The 12th asked as Anzu flew towards the building. His dark black fur resembled a shadow as he soared above the alien world.

"No other building is grand enough to satisfy his ego. Be wary, for we are about to challenge a god." Anzu said as they approached the building.

"You sound almost like you have challenged Marduk before." The Doctor remarked as Anzu landed in front of the main stairway leading up to the palace itself.

Anzu gently let down the Doctor and River before answering.

"Long ago I tried to take the Tablet of Destinies from Marduk. The artifact is the source of his power and has enabled him to enslave so many as he has." Anzu said, a sad tone to his voice.

"I've read of that story. It was said that whomever possessed the Tablet of Destinies ruled the universe." The Doctor said as he got to his feet, his white outfit contrasting sharply with the golden grass he stood on.

"And indeed it has allowed Marduk to rule...this universe." Anzu said, gesturing around himself with his lionine head.

"We are in another universe?" River asked, surprise evident in her tone.

"There are seven universes linked to the Tablet of Destinies. Yours is but one of them. Long ago Marduk invaded mine and enslaved many. That was when I vowed vengeance against him." Anzu said.

"I'm surprised you haven't said anything in an attempt to refute all this." River said, smiling at the Doctor. Her own white outfit was also in contrast to her surroundings.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor said with a smile of his own as he retrieved his sonic screwdriver out of a pocket.

"All of this talk of magic, gods and destiny normally gets you correcting people or saying something is backward or something. I know you." River said.

"I'm a new man now luv. And besides..I have come to understand something." The Doctor said with a growing smile.

"And what would that be?" River asked.

"Science IS magic!" The Doctor said

River rolled her eyes at her husband as she, the Doctor and Anzu made their way inside the massive palace, the main door inside mysteriously open.

As soon as they entered the door behind them slammed shut. The Doctor nearly jumped in surprise. Looking behind him he saw no logical explanation of how the door could have closed, aside from something like telekinesis.

Anzu folded his wings so that they were against his black furred body.

"Marduk is protected by three rooms. Only if we defeat whatever obstacles, enemies or traps in all three rooms may we see Marduk and the Tablet of Destinies." Anzu explained.

Anzu narrowed his yellow feline eyes at the room before them, his black, gold tipped feathered wings a majestic sight, but also majestic was the room they had entered.

It was a room made of fairly average looking tan bricks. Four massive columns held the chamber up, and at the far end of the room opposite the Doctor and his companions was another door, massive and covered in Babylonian cuneiform.

"You still haven't told us why your here. I mean..the real reason. You want revenge...don't you? You couldn't do this by yourself so you dragged us into it." The Doctor said suddenly, turning towards Anzu, who turned towards the Doctor and snarled.

"How dare you!" Anzu said angrily.

"This isn't about just him. Its always been about helping those who need it and righting wrongs. That is what YOUR all about remember?" River said with a smile as she faced the Doctor.

"Alright..alright. I apologize..Anzu." The Doctor said

"Look at me I'm apologizing to a giant flying cat now." The Doctor muttered

"I heard that." Anzu said

"So...tell me my feline friend..we are friends now right?" The Doctor asked as he looked over the room.

"I suppose. You have a question?" Anzu asked, staring intently at the Doctor.

"What is the deal with this room. You said there would be three trials before we could face Marduk. What is the trial of this room?" The 12th asked.

"First we will face a trial of the soul. The room will look into and reveal the character of the challenger. Only if they are deemed worthy can they press onward to the second room." Anzu explained.

"And..how does one know if they are worthy?" The Doctor asked, placing his right hand over his chin in thought.

"If I knew that we wouldn't be having this conversation." Anzu said, then gestured toward the center of the room with his black right paw.

The Doctor walked forward until he was in the room's center, his solid white outfit and red hair sticking out in the solid tan of the room.

As soon as he was in the center of the room did an unimaginatively bright beam of white light engulf him. The Doctor saw only stars and planets surrounding him was what looked like space itself.

Then he heard a voice.

"You look like humanity. But you are not one of them. An alien hiding amid a people you have adopted..traveling time and space. A deep loniness fills your being." The voice said

The Doctor looked downwards for a moment.

"You seem to know everything about me. Do you like what you see? Or do you want more?" The Doctor asked. In his voice was no emotion, just a question asked.

"You have saved many..is this because you actually care...or is it your attempt at penance for your past sins?" The voice asked as the Doctor was surrounded by galaxies and stars.

"I care. I care so much that it hurts. Yes I've had to do things I hated, horrible things...but unless I did those things so many would have died. The universe may not even exist." The Doctor said, a slight amount of sadness in his voice.

The Doctor's long red hair blew with a sudden wind as his view zoomed in on one spiral galaxy and then one solar system with eight planets.

"But yet you still committed genocide. Some of these incidents could have been solved in other ways..yet you still choose this path. The Silence for example. Are you certain there was not another way?" The voice asked.

"No..but I saw a chance and I took it. It was either the continued existence of the Silents...or the freedom and lives of the human race." The 12th said.

"But this is far from the only time you took that path." The voice stated.

"My actions were my own and I claim full responsibility for them..but never once would I ever reconsider what I've done." The 12th stated flatly.

"I believe you. But what of your refusal to kill? You have let people you claimed you loved die because of your refusal to act in the past. Will you let that happen again?" The voice asked as the Doctor saw mars in the distance.

The Doctor looked at the red planet, named after the Roman god of war. The red deserts of the world hid the ruins of a once great people.

"No." The 12th said, his young looking hands shaking suddenly.

"No? What do you mean?" The female voice said with a slightly sinister tone.

"Never again will someone die because I failed to do what must be done. Never again will I stand by and allow my enemies the luxury of mercy..knowing that would mean more deaths in the future." The Doctor said loudly with determination and conviction in his voice.

"What if you must kill an entire race once again?" The voice asked as the blue and green planet Earth took up most of the view.

The Doctor looked at the Earth, reached out his hand, and silently made a motion like he was caressing it...the world he loved so much.

A single tear fell down from the Doctor's right eye, moving down his deceptively young looking face as a fire filled his green eyes.

"Then I would do what I had to do. Even if it meant committing genocide. For the Earth...for the human race...I would do almost anything." The 12th said as he faced the Earth.

"Then you are worthy..." The voice said.

Before the Doctor returned to the room where Anzu and River waited anxiously, the voice whispered something to the Doctor

River's brownish-blonde curly hair was a welcome sight. The Doctor walked over to his wife and suddenly embraced her.

"Sweetie..are you ok?" River said quietly.

Anzu turned his back on the pair to give them some semblance of privacy, sighing as he did so.

"No. I have seen what is in my soul and while I have been found worthy to enter the next room..my soul is wanting." The Doctor said.

"Why would you say such a thing?" River asked, worry on her face and in her voice.

"All my life I've tried to do the right thing. Most of the time I succeeded. But sometimes doing the right thing doesn't always feel good..because sometimes you have to do something horrible. The Silence...the Racnoss...my own people...all are dead now because of me. Yes I had no choice..but it still feels horrible..the idea that entire species had to die..and I was the one who ended them." The Doctor said with tears flowing down both eyes now..and sorrow in his voice.

"That is in the past now." River said as the Doctor and her seperated.

"The worst part is not that I did those acts..but the knowledge that I'll do something like that again..that I will have no choice." The Doctor said.

"The fact that it bothers you...means you are a good man. If you were truly a monster you would feel nothing. The man I saw fight in that arena..was a man I'd follow anywhere. Remember we do the right thing not because it might reward us..but for its own sake and those which we love." Anzu said, stepping forward as he joined the conversation.

"I am sorry I keep troubling you both with my nonsense. This is the burden I must bear..my greatest blessing..and my greatest curse. You shouldn't have to cry a tear for me." The Doctor said, suddenly turning towards the door ahead.

River put her right hand on the Doctor's left shoulder.

"You my dear...I'd follow you anywhere in the universe and beyond. You aren't alone." River said.

"Well I get by with a little help from my friends." The 12th Doctor said, turning towards River and Anzu and smiling. There was warmth in his smile, and love in his eyes as he gazed on his wife and Anzu.

"Anyways..lets enter the next room." The Doctor said, walking over to the ornate brass colored door covered in what looked like Babylonian cuniform.

The next room looked nearly exactly as the previous one.

"In this room your intelligence will be tested." Anzu said as the three were firmly in the second chamber.

The Doctor stepped into the center of the room and seconds later the next door opened.

"That was fast." River said.

"We have little time, when the room interfaced with my mind I saw something horrible." The Doctor said, turning towards his two companions with an expression of concern.

"What did you see?" Anzu asked, his black furred face seeming like it too was full of worry.

"Marduk is planning on enslaving Earth. So many..so many have died in slavery because of his greed and lust for power, I had no true understanding of what you spoke of earlier Anzu..I am sorry." The Doctor said.

"You will need a weapon for the next room. It is a test of strength. And you don't need to apologize." Anzu said, suddenly dropping a concealed sword from his left wing.

"I was keeping this in case we got this far." Anzu said.

The Doctor picked up the sword, recognizing it immediately as the weapon he had used in the arena.

"Alright then..lets get this over with." The 12th said.

The three entered the next room, immediately a Sirrush appeared. But this one was different, slightly larger than the others.

The beast immediately charged forward at the Doctor, who skillfully leaped over the creature in the air and landed behind it.

"You will have to do better than that." The 12th said with a smile on his face.

The creature roared in rage and turned around, then sent his tail towards the Doctor like a whip.

The Doctor swung his sword overhead and cut off the creature's tail, causing the beast to roar in pain.

After parrying several claw attacks from the creature, the Doctor looked sad.

"I don't blame you..I blame the monster he sent you. I'm sorry." The Doctor said, then brought his sword down and impaled the creature's head with his blade.

The creature went limp as death overtook it, then dissappeared.

"Come..it is time we pay our respects to Marduk." The Doctor said, sword in hand.

"I've been waiting along time for this." Anzu said.

The three, white wearing, red haired time lord, curly haired daughter of his former companions and his wife, and the black winged lion..the most unlikely of trios..pushed over the brass door and entered a great throneroom.

The chamber was huge, with a ceiling that stretched upwards so far that the ceiling could not be seen by the naked eye. Four huge pillars as thick as houses, all tan in color and covered with Babylonian cuniform held the roof up ahead of them. Past the pillars was a floating tablet of grey stone, from the tablet emitted white energy and light, it was almost too bright to look upon.

"Marduk...where is he?" Anzu said, looking around.

"I don't see anyone..but I doubt someone would leave the tablet of destinies unguarded, if that tablet is what I think it is." River said.

"Its not unguarded. He is here." The Doctor said, pointing upwards.

A giant black bearded man, looking human except for the four brown eagle-like wings which he flew on as well as his bronze colored skin and blazing blue eyes, came down from above them and landed in front of the tablet. The being's form was illuminated from behind by the light given off by the artifact. He wore gold armor on his chest and upper legs, as well as a gold helmut.

"Anzu...so you have returned. You didn't learn your lession from our last encounter? The tablet is mine..as is your world...and soon..the world of the humans will be totally mine as well." Marduk said with a loud booming masculine voice. The Doctor noticed the bluish energy forming around the being's two hands.

"He has help this time." The Doctor said, stepping forward.

"And who would you be? Some weak human mortal thinking he can enter the realm of the gods? Did you think you would survive this encounter? Did you believe you somehow stood a chance?" Marduk said as the Doctor's green eyes meet his own blazing blue energy filled eyes.

"You call yourself a god." The Doctor said, suddenly chuckling.

"Do I amuse you mortal? Perhaps an agonizing..slow death would be more amusing." Marduk said with a voice that shook the entire room.

"You force your followers to die for your amusement or whatever other selfish aim you have. A real god would want his followers to live for him..not die for him." The Doctor said, holding his sword tightly.

"And you would be an expert on the divine? Nonsense..I have heard enough. You will all die." Marduk said, then suddenly fired a stream of blue lightning from his right hand at the Doctor, who was saved only by Anzu, who flew in and knocked him out of harms way.

"Anzu?" The Doctor asked with concern in his voice.

Anzu's back had clearly been hit. The fur there was missing and steam rose from the burnt flesh.

"I will live..we must stop him. Nevermind me." Anzu said.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

"You kill no more." The Doctor said, then leapt at Marduk, sword in hand, only to be knocked backwards onto the ground by a bolt of blue lightning.

The Doctor's outfit was scorched, but lucky for him the blast only glazed him.

The Doctor leapt to his feet and charged again, this time avoiding two blasts of energy as he approached by running from side to side.

The 12th plunged his sword into Marduk's knee, which was the same height as the Doctor's head.

Marduk yelled in anger and pain, and was about to blast the Doctor when Anzu flew into Marduk and slammed him in the chest with his entire body. This caused the tyrant to stumble backwards.

Several gunshots could be heard.

"Nows your chance!" River yelled

"Thankyou River." The Doctor said quietly, seeing as his wife had joined the battle, her gun in hand.

The Doctor ran under Marduk and leapt, grabbing the tablet of destinies and discarding his sword.

Marduk turned around swiftly.

"Let go of that. It has powers you could not possibly comprehend." Marduk said.

"The thing about items like these. They may be the source of your power..but that can be easily taken away. Something you should know Marduk...I'm not a weak human..I'm over a thousand years old...and I've seen thousands of worlds in different times and places. How does your experiences compare to mine? You use your power to enslave..I use mine to help and save. The tablet found you worthy in the past..lets see whom it chooses now." The Doctor said.

"You dare challenge me?" Marduk yelled, attempting to grab the tablet.

"Thats too bad...maybe next time. Oh..thats right..there won't be a next time..because for you..its over." The Doctor said, his eyes suddenly glowing white with power. The Doctor held out his right hand, and a beam of blinding white energy leapt outward and struck Marduk in the chest.

"What are you doing? This can't be happening!" Marduk yelled.

"Yes exactly it can. I'm banishing you to the void between diamensions. Perhaps then you can think about your crimes..and what a miserable excuse for a leader you were." The Doctor said.

"No...Noooo! Who are you! I demand your name!" Marduk said as his body began to fade away.

"So you can plot your revenge or something? Fine...know the name of the one who defeated you...I am..the Doctor." The 12th said with a smirk on his face.

"I will find you..and when I do..I will.." Marduk started to say, but was cut off when he vanished completely.

The Doctor floated in the air, empowered by the tablet of destinies.

"Its finally over." Anzu said, grimacing in pain from his wound.

"River." The Doctor said.

"Yes?" River asked as she put her gun away in a hidden area of her left pants.

Suddenly the Doctor floated down to the ground and seemed back to normal, the tablet in his right hand. The tablet itself was the size of a small paper novel.

"While I was empowered by the tablet I learned something. I must get back to the present. I believe this entire journey into the past was intended as a distraction by someone." The Doctor said.

"I'll go with you." River said.

"And you Anzu?" The Doctor asked, turning towards his feline friend.

"I would be honored...but my people need their king. But I must ask one thing Doctor..what will you do with the tablet?" Anzu asked as he stretched out his black, golden tipped wings.

"I'm going to store it inside the TARDIS. It has a wealth of information inside it that may prove useful in the future. Unless you need it?" The Doctor asked.

"No, that artifact has caused me and my people enough heartache. You can keep it. No offense." Anzu said.

"None taken. But one thing..River?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes?" River responded

"I can't take you back to the 21st century. Remember what I spoke to you about earlier. You are needed back in the 52nd century..I'm sorry." The Doctor said with sadness in his voice.

"It was inevitable. I'm not sad if that is my fate." River said.

"I will find a way to save you. This is not goodbye." The Doctor said.

Some time passed. Anzu had taken the Doctor and River back threw the portal to Babylon on Earth. Anzu, River and the Doctor walked up the yellow grass covered hill where the blue box that was Tardis stood waiting for him.

"This is goodbye Anzu." The Doctor said, looking at his friend with a warm smile.

"It was an honor Doctor. I will tell my people of your heroism." Anzu said.

"Maybe we will meet again someday." The Doctor said as he slowly opened the door to the TARDIS.

"I would like that." Anzu said.

The sky of Earth was crimson as the orange sun began to set. To the Doctor it symbolized the end not just of the day..but of another adventure.

"Come River..your chariot awaits." The Doctor said, motioning towards the TARDIS.

Once inside the Doctor and River embraced for one last kiss. Then they seperated and the Doctor spoke.

"You will meet one of my past incarnations. You will need this." The Doctor said as he reached into a compartment on the TARDIS control console.

It was a sonic screwdriver, of a type River had not seen before.

"Take it. Guard it with your life. It may take away from your point of view..but this is not goodbye..merely a parting of ways for a time luv." The Doctor said.

"Don't take too long." River said with a smile.

With those words the TARDIS began to move into the time vortex, traveling off to the future even as the sun set in ancient Babylon.


End file.
